Track-rail supporting and fastening means



Aug. 18,1925. 1 1,549,981

l A. HosMr-:R

' TRACK RAIL SUPPORTING AND FASTENING MEANS Filed Nov. so. 192s 2 5118915611991 1 1 1 l 1 1 1 1 l 61 J3 11 '11 1 1 1 1 "1 1', 1 11 l '1 1g I, s 5: I' 1 l' 1 11 1 5 Il 1 1 1 I "L f l I l l lI 1 ,E 1 1 I 1.,1 1 1 l 1 11 1| 1' .11 11' 1 L//l :1 1| 1 *I1 1, 1 1 1| j 11 11 I 1 :lll l 77,41 1 1 |1I l1 .3

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parts Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED PAIENT FFICE.Y

ARTI-I'UR I-IOSMER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F GIVE-FOURTH TO HARRY II. JONTE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACK-RAIL SUPPORTING .AND FASTENING MEANS.

Application filed. November 30, 1.923. Serial No. 677,734.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR HosMnR, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Track-Rail Supporting `and Fastening Means, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates' to railway track construction and especially to improved means for fastening the rails to the ties. The invention is an improvement over the device ofmy Patent No. 1,134,455, dated April 6, 1915, and results in part in simplifying the construction there sho-wn.

With the introduction of modern heavy service locomotives and correspondingly heavy rolling stock in general, it has been necessary to devote more attention to track requirements. Hoa-vier loads have tended to augment the well-known wave motion of the rails. Such motion though small in itself sets up serious stresses in the track `members and' especially in the rail fastenings, which, if not minimized and definitely provided for soon sets up destructive wear and tear, resulting in speedy deteriorationof the track and need of early repairs and replacements. Although such wave movement may be minimized by proper ballasting, still for practical reasons it is not possible to wholly eliminate it. But the harmful eifect of whatever wave movement there may be can be largely prevented by providing; a resiliently yielding connective relation between the rail and the tie.

Under such conditions of heavy trafiic, especially on one-way trunk lines, there is a strong tendency for the rails to creep or slide little by little in the direction of traffic, incident to the wave action of the rails. The rail fastenings commonly in use grip the rails rigidly against the ties, as a result of which the4 wave motion of the rails tends seriously to loosen and displace the ties and to move them forward bodily with the gradually advancing rail, thus menacing the stability of the track. Moreoverjthe usual multiplicity of rail fastener has entailed corresponding complexity of structure and method of use, as a result of which track construction and maintenance have become very expensive.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of tie and means for fastening the track rail thereto; to provide an improved form of anchoring lug and adjustable fastening adapted to accom modate limited wave motion of the rail without materially affecting the tie; to provide an improved form of lug and method of attaching the same to its support, and especially to provide such a lug and method for attaching the same directly to a steel tie; to provide an improved form of rail insulation adapted to accommodate the fastening structure herein set forth; to provide such an insulation adapted to serve as a wear plate; to provide means for retaining the insulation somewhat yieldingly and yet positively against displacement; to provide an improved and resilient form off1 rotary lock piece adapted for appreciable yielding to accommodate wave motion of the rail; to provide improved means on such a lock piece for securing a wedge member when set in place against said lock piece; to provide such ay lock piece adapted for application of a wedge in either direction lengthwise thereof according to the intended direction of traffic; and to provide insulating means adapted for molding to fit aro-und the base of the rail, the adjacent lock piece, and between the end shoulders of the lock piece and the adjacent tie lug.

A complete illustrative embodimentv of this invention is shown by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan showing` a section of a T-rail set in place on a tie provided with fastening means for locking the rail in place.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 53-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a section taken lengthwise of the rail at t-at on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a rotary lock piece showing mainly the concave inner side and one end.

Fig. 6 is a wedge having a malleable tip adapted for clinching around one of the end lugs on the lock piece.

Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. v8 is a reduced fragmentary vertical section at 8-8 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is an end view of that part of one of the insulation members which tits between the end of a tie lug and the adjacent stopear or shoulder of the lock piece.

Fig. 10 is a` fragmentarysection taken as in Fig. 4, but showing a modiiied form of insulation plate provided with a thickened edge flange depending slightly over the edge of the tie flange.

In the construction shown in the. drawings, the rail 1 is secured to the tie 2 by means of lugs 3 and 4, which are substantially integral with said tie, a lock piece 5 and a wedge 6 being interposed between lug 4 and the adjacent rail ange 7, and a two-piece insulator comprising sections 8 and 9 and being disposed as shown in Fig. 2 for adapting the rail to serve. as a conductor, as may be required in railway signal service.

The lugs 3 and 4 are somewhat similar in general character, but dilfer in detail of design sufficiently to accommodate their respective functions; lug 3 being adapted to receive merely the rail flange 10 and insulation member 8, with clearance space 11 at the upper side of iiange 10 to permit vertical movement of the rail suliicient to accommodate wave motion of the latter without appreciably disturbing the tie; and lug 4 being somewhat larger and spaced away from flange 7 suliiciently to receive t-he rotary lock piece 5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The rotary lock piece 5 is oblong and somewhat resembles a thick form of crescent in cross section. It comprises a main body part 5', the outer side of which is cylindrically arcuate and the inner side of which is of concave shape, and a. thin downwardly curved overhanging leverage arm part 12 projecting horizontally from the upper part o f body 5 across the adjacent rail flange 7 in spaced relation thereto for receiving the wedge 6. Said projecting part 12 is substantially cylindre-concave on its undersidel to accommodate the convex upper side of,"A said wedge, and is of comparatively thin construction so as to provide for sullicient spring action to accommodate the wave motion of the rail. ln order to prevent endwise movement or displacement of the lock piece when in place, it is provided with end shoulders or ears 13, which project upwardly and outwardly adjacent to and across the ends of the tie lug 4. 1n order to facilitate ready setting of the wedge in apositive and secure manner when driven into place, a pair of upstanding lugs or shoulders 14 of stump-like appearance are provided at the ends respectively of said lock piece on the upper side of the leverage part 12 in such position that when the wedge is driven into place the malleable end or tip 6 may be bent across and to some extent around said lug as may be effected by means of a hammer.

Referring to the construction of the tie and lugs, it is to be noted that the lugs are unitary with they tie and are substantially integral therewith, being permanently welded thereto. For this purpose, the tie in the form of an I-beam is formed in the process of rolling with transverse depressions or grooves 15 at the points where the lugs 3 and 4 are to be attached. Said lugs are formed with corresponding downwardly projecting base ribs 16 to lit in said grooves. lVhen the lugs are assembled on the tie in the process of fabrication, the lugs are welded integrally, as for instance by electric welding, as will be understood by those skilled in the welding art.

The lugs 3 and 4 are made by rolling bar stock into bars of appropriate shape in cross section and then cutting off individual lugs in the form of bar sections in lengths corresponding with the width of the I-bar flangel part of the tie.

The insulators, each comprising the two parts 8 and 9, are molded from fiber board material in substantially the exact form in which they are to be mounted in place. These insulators are preferably about an eighth of an inch thick and serve very efiiiently as wear plates, as well as insulators. In order to facilitate handling and use they are made in sections as shown, being dovetailed together at 17 as shown in Fig. 1. In order to assure thorough insulation and prevent possible grounding at the lug 4, the insulator section 9 is provided with outstanding extensions or ears 18 disposed between the ends of lug 4 and the end liange 13 of the lock piece, the main body of section 9 being curved upward to fit around the said lock piece and against the inner side of lug 4.

In order to provide for insertion of the wedge 6 in either direction so as to accommodate pointing it in the direction of traffic movement, the overhanging leverage part 12 of said lock piece is inclined upwardly in both directions from the center on its undor side, according to the taper of the wedge, as shown by Fig. 4. The wedge thus bears tightly against that half of the lock piece which is toward the head of the wedge and the thin end of the wedge being bent upwardly against the underside of the other half of the lock piece and the tip 6l being clinched against or around the corresponding shoulder 14.

Referring to Fig. 10, this view shows a modified form of insulator 19 provided with a heavy downwardly turned flange 2O to overhang the edges of the tie 2 whereby edgewise displacement or loosening is positively prevented. This feature is especially desirable where for any reason insulation of the `,rail is not important and the upwardly curved edges of the insulation may be omitted, the plate then serving merely as a wear plate for which it is admirably adapted, being hard and durable but sufficiently resilient to be advantageous relative to steel wear plates in this respect.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown. and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

It is to be understood that when the above described fastening means is in service it may be tightened from time to time by means of driving in the wedge sufficiently to take up any slack that may have been occasioned by changes in temperature or by wear. When this is done the malleable tip of the wedge is bent further around the anchorage on the lock piece so as to prevent any backward slipping of the wedge, as will be understood.

I claim:

l. A combination support and fastener comprising` a steel tie having rail-holding lugs integral therewith, a rotary lock piece adapted for insertion between one of said lugs and the adjacent rail flangey to secure the latter, and a wedge adapted for driving into place between said lock piece and the rail flange for setting the lock piece tightly in effective relation to the lug and rail, said lock piece having a resilient arm to receive the bearing of said wedge whereby wave motion of the rail is accommodated.

2. A rail-holding tie and fastener comprising a steel tie having rail-holding lugs integral therewith, in combination with a' yielding rotary lock piece adapted for insertion between one of said lugs and the adjacent rail flange, and a wedge adapted for driving into place between said lock piece andthe rail fiange for setting the loclrpiece tightly in effective relation to the lug and rail, said lock piece-having a resilient arm to receive the bearing of said wedge, whereby wave motion of the rail is accommodated.

3. In a rail fastening of the character described, a lug to receive one flange of the rail, and a lock member disposed between said flange and said lug, said member being rotatable `on its longitudinal axis, and a wedge adapted for driving into place between one part of said member and the upper face of said flange whereby said member may be forced into effective position to hold the rail tightly in said lug, said member having a pair of resiliently connected arms, one to bear against the edge of the adjacent rail flange and the other to receive the pressure of said wedge, whereby limited vertical movement of the rail flange is permitted.

el.. In a rail support and fastening of the character described, a lug to receive one flange of the rail,'means to prevent horizontal displacement of said rail relative to said lug, and a lock member disposed between said flange and said lug, said member being rotatable on its longitudinal axis, and a wedge adapted for'driving into place between said member and the upper face of said flange whereby said member may be forced into effective position to hold the rail tightly in said lug, said member having a resilient arm overlying said flange to receive the pressure of said wedge whereby limited vertical motion of the rail flange is permitted sufficient to accommodate ordinary or normal wave movement of the rail.

5. In aV device of the character described, a Wedge and a rotary lock member having at each end a pile-like shoulder projecting transversely of the main axis of said member, said wedge having a malleable tip adapted to be set about either of said shoulders when driven into place in appropriate relation to said member.

G. In a rail holding device of the character described, a transversely disposed two-section insulator, the sections of which meet and interfit in the same plane along the underside of the rail, each of said sections being substantially rigid and having an upturned outer edge part to insulate the rail from its fastenings.

'i'. In a rail holding device of the character described, a transversely disposed twosection insulator, the sections of which meet and interlit in dovetaile'd relation in the same plane along the underside of the rail.

8. In a rail holding device of the character described an insulator comprising a pair of preformed rigid sections adapted for molding from fiber-board material, said sections being formed to interlit along the center line of the underside of the rail and having upturned outside flanges respectively.

9. In a rail holding device of the character described, an insulator having an upturned edge part and a support having a fastening including a member disposed against the rail and a lug between which and the rail said fastening is adapted to react for clamping the rail, said insulator edge part being positioned between said lug and said member.

l0. A rail support and fastener of the character described having a lug, a spring leverage member disposed between said lug and the adjacent flange of the rail, and means to react between one arm of said member and said flange to set the fastening, the other arm of said member being disposed to press against the edge of said rail flange and said member being fulcrumed against said lug.

1l. A track rail support having lugs thereon to receive and hold the rail, a rotary lock member which one of said lugs is formed and positioned to receive between the inner face of the lug and the adjacent flange of the rail, and wedging means formed to be driven intoplace between the rail and said lock piece for rotating the latter forcibly into eifective flange-holding po sition, said wedging means being malleable and adapted for bending` and setting in a position to prevent accidental withdrawal, said lock member being inclined oppositely from the center on its underside to correspond with said means.

12. A track rail support formed and adapted to receive and hold the rail, said rail support including a lug, a lock member which said lug is formed and positioned to receive between the inner face of said lug and tlie adjacent part of the rail flange, and long thin wedging means adapted for driving int-o place in either direction longitudinally of and between the rail and said lock member for rotating the latter forcibly into effective Hange-liolding position, said lock member having anchorage means at eacn end adapted to be engaged by said wedging means, and said wedging means being extended and adapted for bending and set',- ting in a position to prevent accidental wlthdrawal.

Signed at Chicago this 26 day of Nov. 1928.

ARTHUR HO SMER. 

